Birmingham St Mary’s championed the dedication of its volunteers this month, with a movie-style celebration.
To thank its ‘shining stars’, the Selly Park-based hospice hosted two Hollywood-themed parties, in a bid to give back to those who give up their time for free.
Taking place during National Volunteers Week, the festivities included a movie-themed quiz, glitzy props for photos and a musical performance from the University of Birmingham’s ‘A Cappella Society’. The hospice also created its own ‘Wall of Fame’, which featured the names of its committed volunteers.
Birmingham St Mary’s – which provides vital care and support to local people living with life-limiting illness – has over 450 volunteers who generously give up their time for a number of different services. Volunteering roles include bereavement counselling, spiritual care, help with admin, catering, gardening, retail support and more.
Sue Smith volunteers in the fundraising team and has been supporting the hospice for over three years. She said: “Volunteering is both rewarding and a lot of fun. It’s a real privilege to help the hospice and I feel proud that my support can make a big difference to the people and families that the hospice cares for.
“I’ve made some great friends whilst volunteering at Birmingham St Mary’s and so it was fantastic to be able to spend time together and see our hard work and dedication acknowledged. The hospice makes me feel so appreciated and it always go above and beyond in thanking its volunteers.”
Tina Swani, chief executive at Birmingham St Mary’s, said: “Without our fantastic volunteers, we really wouldn’t be able to provide such a wide range of services. Whether it’s project managing a fundraising campaign or serving cups of tea at our Day Hospice, every single one of our volunteers allows us to care for and support more people across Birmingham and Sandwell. It was fantastic to see so many volunteers enjoy our Hollywood celebrations and it was great to give back to those who give so much to others.”
Over the past year, Birmingham St Mary’s volunteers have:
- Given up 38,405 hours of their time to support our chain of shops
- Raised £11,000 during The Big Brum Bucket Collection 2017
- Answered 19,063 telephone calls
- Served over 18,396 cups of tea and coffee
- Dedicated 415 hours of their time to maintaining our garden and grounds
- Held 561 face-to-face bereavement counselling sessions
Birmingham St Mary’s is on the lookout for more volunteers to join its growing team. Volunteering can boost skills needed for the workplace and is a great opportunity to make new friends. To find out more, take a look here.
